Everyone, The Denver Post included, seems to be focusing upon the costs of fighting our recent wildfires, and proposals to assess fees upon those who have built in the so-called wildland-urban interface (WUI). To put this into perspective, note that the recent flooding has resulted, according to the Colorado Office of Emergency Management, in the loss of more than 1,800 homes and damage to at least 16,000. While lacking the drama of surging flame fronts, this far exceeds the 486 homes lost and 37 damaged in the recent Black Forest fire, and several earlier fires in combined totals. If fees are under consideration for those in the WUI, equity demands that similar fees should be levied upon those in flood-prone areas, tornado-susceptible regions, and heavy hail impact zones.

Bruce McCandless II, Conifer

This letter was published in the Sept. 22 edition.

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Mr. McCandless conveniently ignores the fact that the flooding was exacerbated by areas burned by recent forest fires and bereft of trees and sufficient vegetation to hold the rainwater.
Mr. McCandless seems to be a bitter guy, claiming that the flooding somehow lacked the (media?) drama of surging flames, etc. I don’t know about that. Video of surging waters, demolished highways, stranded people and livestock, smashed bridges, flooded farms, was plenty dramatic.
Nothing stops Mr. McCandless from proposing fees similar to WUI fees for flood-prone or earthquake-prone areas. But McCandless would rather whine that people are picking on him.

#2 Comment By andyandy On September 21, 2013 @ 8:18 pm

Apples and oranges. Any place, any time, is susceptible to natural calamity. Only forests have forest fires.